


The King's Crew

by ElegantlyCasual



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Betrayal, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, How Do I Tag, Original Character(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2019-12-07 11:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18234392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElegantlyCasual/pseuds/ElegantlyCasual
Summary: Left under the ruling of the fearful tyrant king, the kingdom of Cynth must climb it's way out of the blistering shadows.--- ☆ ---Chan is the true ruler to the throne. However, together with his right hand, Woojin, and his loyal guard, Changbin, he must enlist the help of six strangers to get it back.A cunning thief,A talented artist,A strategic genius,A bright herbalist,A runaway orphanAnd a kidnapped Prince.





	1. The Grim Fall

It all began with the sudden rush of noise. Where the leaves of the trees lulled to the rhythm of the wind and the bright skies fell to the darkness of the moonlit night. Under those clear droplets of harsh tapping from the chilled, wet ceilings and the doors of those cracked, stone walls whipping open with a force to rival an earthquake. The sound rang an echo in Chan’s ears, effectively sweeping his eyelids shut. It was as though the walls themselves seemed to cowardly shrink in fear.

It was in the corner of the small, dimly lit cellar that Chan was forcefully thrown into, the spiders and their prey welcoming him with open arms. Though the pain in his side would be unbearable at any sheer amount of pressure put on it, he could not find it in himself to feel the pain that had already gone numb. After all, how could anything be worse than what he had to witness. With a snicker and a slam into his wounded side, the guard left him to his undeniable sorrows.

He clutched his bruising body and clambered to lean his back against the stone brick walls. As he carefully stretched his legs out, Chan let his arms fall to his sides, heaving out a deep grunt as he did so. The stench in the cellar was almost unbearable, enough to cause him to nearly gag. He chuckled under his breath. To think that just yesterday, he would have been the one throwing people into here.

He lifted his eyes to the barred window across from him. It looked as if the stars were taking pity on him and seemed to shine less bright than usual. Though he would have to say that he cursed fate for not taking him too, rather leaving him here to rot in this nightmare. Maybe, he wished desperately on the verge of going completely and utterly made, maybe he’ll awake to find this all a terrible dream. With that, he let his heavy lids console him in the unending shadows.

_“Mother, what are you doing lying on the hard floor instead of your bed?” he whispered as he clutched his mother’s still warm body in his arms, the crimson staining his white suit as he rocked her back and forth. His tears tumbled down his cheeks as his chest burned, yearning for him to take a breath. He gripped her tighter to his own body in an attempt to keep her warm. “Please don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone," his broken cries begged._

Chan jolted awake from his slumber. His chest heaved up and down as he struggled to catch his breath. He brought his trembling hands to the walls to support himself as he rose. His body was shaking and he was beginning to feel dizzy from his uncontrolled breathing. After he managed to remain in control he sank to the ground, feeling exhausted.

An abrupt droplet falls onto the cuffs of Chan’s pants, then another until it’s almost soaked through to make it stick to his skin. But, he no longer has the energy to move from his spot anymore. He doesn’t have any recollection of what time it may be and he doesn’t stress on finding out. He sits in his spot and counts the droplets as they fall.

_One, two, three, four._

It’s an agonizingly gradual process that would have killed him before. Nevertheless, it brings him comfort this time and takes away his attention from the deafening voices in his head. Still, there’s nothing that can take away that gnawing feeling that is tearing him up from the inside, slowly but surely. By the time he gets to sixty-three it’s close to noon already. He decides that once it hits one-hundred he’ll get up and move to the other side of the room. It’ll force him to stretch out his frozen limbs.

A gunshot pierces his eardrums. It’s thunderous and echoes throughout the endless corridor. What’s happening? His mind races and he jumps up to try to see the commotion. However, his body gives out on him and he immediately plunges back to the ground, knocking the wind out of him and forcing a spike of agony through his side. He groans and rolls to his other side in an attempt to drag himself back up. Chan props one knee up and uses it as leverage to heave one push towards the door, stabilizing himself against it. More sounds of shots barrel through and he scrambles to see through the iron bars at the top of the frame.

“Where did they go!” A familiar guard shouts frantically.

“Sir, they went down the left corridor and up to the second floor.” The other guard replies with a tremble in his voice. Chan could see his hand shaking as he held his revolver.

“Then what are you doing still standing here.” The elder guard steps closer. “If they get away then I swear I’ll skin you alive and feed your scraps to dogs. You hear me?” His tone of voice even causes Chan to feel intimidated.

He wonders who they must be after. It would not be unlikely for it to be people who snuck into the castle. It had happened before and many times there have been unruly citizens who held malice against his father long ago. He resides on the fact that since the castle is busy with transition that many have tried to find their way in.

The other male’s voice wavers. “Yes, sir.” He bolts off without a second of delay followed by his steps getting farther away. Chan can hear them close to him, as if they’re right next to him, but what good does that do for him.

But, the door lock jiggles and Chan is quick to scurry away to avoid being crushed to death. With a swift turn of the key, the same guard with an intimidating aura appears through the door frame. His features, he recognizes, are the same ones that he used to see whenever he saw his uncle, sharp and rugged. Despite that his trust for him has all but deteriorated in a single moment, the elder man has the audacity to smirk at him, letting out a low and husky laugh.

His steps were heavy as he crouched down. "Please, don't give me that face. We all knew that you were never going to be able to become king anyways, _my prince._ " His words were laced with venom, stinging Chan like poison.

"And neither will you," he spat in reply.

He slammed his foot into Chan's stomach and pulled his head up to face him. "With your uncle on the throne I might as well be." He throws him back to the ground, snatching his hand back in the same manner as if he touched a blazing fire. Turning on the balls of his feet, he bellowed in two other guards who were notably bigger than himself. "Take him to the wagon." They lifted his arms around their shoulders and practically dragged him out the door, feet scraping against the rough concrete and tiny rocks getting in between his toes.

By the time they locked the cage on the back of the wooden wagon and tossed a large, cotton cloth on it, Chan was on the verge of passing out. He barely had enough consciousness to question where he was going. If he was lucky, they would leave him in the woods to fend for himself.

"Since I'm worried for your sake, I'll let you to meet your parents." His uncle's personal guard whispered from the other side of the cage. He then tapped the wagon and they began the trek.

It was silent, and almost relaxing, in spite of being led to his own demise. It was inevitable and he was sorry he could not protect the people that he held dear to him any longer. He guessed that he would take in the skies once more and leave it at that.

But, the reality was that he didn't want to leave yet. Not when he had unfinished business and people that he cared for waiting on him, counting on his return. With his uncle on the throne his people would be miserable. They would undeniably suffer from his reign. Not only that, he could not even fathom the plans that his uncle had for war and the bloodlust to conquer the neighboring kingdoms, who they had an alliance with for decades.

Yet his body was weak and drained. His chances of winning against two armed men, much stronger than he was at this point, were zero. He felt around in the darkness, believing that his eyes would adjust. His hopes were shattered as he felt nothing of use to him except for the dry hay that was half-hazardly thrown around. He slumped against the closely spaced bars and closed his eyes, ignoring the way his head thudded against it everything they hit a rock.

After several moments of complete silence, Chan would assume that they were halfway there at this point. Especially since the two men decided to take a break for nature's call. The old wagon shook as they hopped back on and proceeded on their way, but they stopped sooner than he had expected.

One second it was pitch-black, and a second later his eyes were met bright stars that welcomed his sorry state. He didn't realize just how long he had been in this place for it to have gotten dark already. This was it, he assumed. He was going to die here and there was nothing he could do. A glance to his executioners and it sparked something in him. Those fierce eyes that held deep bags and those soft eyes that always seemed to smile back at him. Though half their faces were covered by a mask and hood, he knew those two like the back of his hand.

"Well, I would have enjoyed a more exhilarating and emotional meeting, but the face of shock and relief will have to do as well." They removed their masks and shook off their hoods to reveal their faces.

"Hush, just open the lock." The shorter male scoffed and began to dig for the key in his deep cloak pocket.

He continued to talk as he pulled out the ring of keys and tried each one. "But, it's much easier to keep track of him this way. I mean, how many times have we had to roam the castle calling out his name? And how many times has he actually responded?" The other male glared at him in response. "Fine, I'm opening it." With a click of the padlock and a swing of the door he muttered, "see?"

"To think that people would be scared of you when you're just a childish boy with a hobby of getting on my nerves, Changbin" the taller one sighed while he cut through the rope around Chan's swollen wrists.

"As if you could get rid of me, Woojin," came his snarky reply.

Chan was in utter bewilderment with this occurrence. He had no idea how they managed to escape the fortified castle, nor how they were able to locate him in this plethora of forestry. From the looks of it, the two men who were initially his executioners were nowhere in sight, not that he didn't already have any assumptions.

He wrung his fingers around his wrists and shifted to the edge of the wagon. "How did you two-" His sentence was interrupted halfway.

"We jumped through the third floor window and landed in the river, then left our clothes to drift down the bank to lead them in the opposite direction."

Woojin added, "by that time we were able to catch up with you and ambush the men who took you here." He neared Chan and began taking off his shirt to bandage his wounds.

"You could have just left me. I was not able to protect anyone in the end and selfishly desired closure for my own personal needs." His head hung low as he glanced at the wound that was tied with a torn cloth to serve as makeshift bandage on Changbin's arm.

"We could have never been able to leave you my prince. You know that you can lean on us as well, don't you?" Woojin gently applied medicine to his wounds up to his sides, his voice honey-like and hands working efficiently as to not cause unnecessary pain.

"Besides, what, or rather who, do you think we're here for?" Changbin took the reigns of the horses and turned back to give Chan a small grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Thank you for reading! ~


	2. A Ghost Town

Nothing would be able to prepare them for the journey that they were going to take. Not a single one of Chan's lessons could tell him what to do if he were to be betrayed by his own people and forced into hiding within the boundaries of the kingdom that would have been in the palms of his own two hands. It would now be up for the taking in the greedy, power hungry mesh of chaos. They would mold that kingdom in the burning flames and Chan would have to watch it crumble beneath him. How would the kind townspeople conquer the perils of this disaster?

With their hoods and masks readjusted to cover their faces, they had made a straightaway towards the edge of the walls, making clear to stray far away from the heart of the city as to avoid confrontation. They needed to be sure that no one would find out that the crown prince was still alive. At least until they found out a way to take back what was justly his. However, this served to be more difficult than they initially imagined.

As they roamed through the dirt pathways, and sometimes making their own pathways, there lay a looming cloud that hovered above them. The stars began to become covered, as though a veil lay between them and the moon. Losing the dark light that guided them during the strange night, the mourning of those above drenched them in their tears that soon melted into his own.

They stayed in the heavy silence that twisted with the drops that seemed to fall with the weight of thousands. Their clothes suffocated them as it clung to their skin, shivering. However, it was not long before the skies soon showed their smiles and the gloomy clouds faded away with the moon following close behind. And from there Chan could see the small village of Andoth from the top of the hill at which they stood. It was a small village and barely a portion of its size compared to his kingdom’s flourishing town with markets and trading posts galore.

Chan took a long glance at the wreckage of buildings lined up next to each other. Most of the windows used boards to cover up the broken windows as if someone deliberately caused this kind of chaos. The aura left a feeling of chills surrounding this seemingly ghost town. If there was anyone here they were sure not to leave any traces behind. Chan was eternally grateful that it was still bright out. Many of the buildings were dark and deserted, but at the center of the town there was a candle lit street lamp outside a single tavern. Chan was puzzled as to why it lit in the daytime, but he couldn't fathom a logical reason why.

Changbin tied the horses to a tree before they headed into the nearly empty streets crawling with mice and cracked roads. With their soggy and heavy clothes, they trudged towards the only tavern. Its sign was nearly torn off and squeaked at its hinges as it dangled with the low hum of the morning breeze.

“I don’t remember this place being this,” Woojin paused as he wearily looked around them, “deserted.” He furrowed his brows and continued walking.

It was true. This small village used to be just as lively as his own. There used to be travelers all over this town and the economy was booming due to the number of tourists and wanderers. Therefore, Chan wondered what could have possibly happened to completely and utterly wipe this place off the map.

However, their journey to the tavern remained unsightly, unbearable to the way that they kept their eyes from wandering. The streets were littered with broken furniture, from torn up couches to beaten cabinets and dressers, its contents strewn all around the concrete. Strays around them found a home in the piles. Chan could not help it, but when he saw the small toys and stuffed animals laying aimlessly at the door fronts, he snapped his eyes towards the front, where it stayed for the rest of the walk.  Woojin looked over, pursing his lips into a straight line.

“Something must have happened here. We have to stay on guard while we’re here,” Changbin whispered, keeping his hand firmly over his pistol and double checking where he left his knife.

When they reached their destination, they each gave each other a quick glance. Then, Changbin gripped his hand on the loose handle and slowly pushed it open. The door was thin and at the point where he could have easily knocked it over, but with caution he widened the door.

Chan had expected for the tavern to look just as run down and unkempt like all the other buildings. However, it was tidy and looked as if someone was still taking care of it. Woojin stepped close to tables and found no dust whatsoever on it.  The chairs were neatly placed and candles lit up the room in which it confirmed their suspicions that someone was most definitely still here. Though the only thing they didn't know was exactly how many managed to escape the atrocities that smeared this little town.

It happened in a single instant that the door from behind them squeaked open to signal the arrival of another. Changbin was quick to snap to the doorframe with his pistol securely in his hands, pointing directly to a girl, or rather a lady, who froze instantaneously, dropping her woven basket of what looked somewhat similar to potatoes. Woojin’s eyes widened and placed his hand on Changbin’s shoulder to signal him to put his weapon down. 

“I would have to say that this is definitely not the first time I’ve had something pointed to my head. But, it still manages to get to me every time,” her voice was strong as she slowly bent down to grab the fallen crops. Her dress was dirtied and her apron was torn at the bottom. Though she looked somewhat disheveled with her brown, short hair clipped back, her charming beauty was not to be overlooked. 

“I apologize for our sudden rudeness. We didn’t know what to expect since this place seemed unusually deserted.” Chan crouches down to help her, ignoring the searing pain pleading from his back. Woojin and Changbin follow suit. He clambers back up and adds, “Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, my name is Chan and these are my fellow comrades Changbin and Woojin.” Woojin gives her a soft smile.

Changbin swiftly slips his gun away. “My apologies.”

“Well, you may call me Jihyo and I run this tavern, for now at least, but it is more of an inn if you ask me.” She gestures around her before placing the basket away in the back room.

“Now, forgive my straightforwardness, but why might you be here in this kind of place?” Woojin raises one of his brows questionably.

She comes back out with four glasses of water and places them on an empty table before taking a seat herself. “Please sit.” The four of them gather around, chairs squeaking and scraping against the floor as they pull them out.

“You see, I am waiting for someone.” Her hand tightens around her glass. She meets their gazes and smiles sadly. “Besides, it is still a wonderful place here and I want to be the one to bring it back to life again. It may not be much now, but it was back then.”

“I understand, but is it not dangerous for you to be here all alone?” Chan inquires.

“Well, people are too frightened to come around here anymore anyways and I always remember to lock up before sundown.” Chan remained skeptical about her staying alone in this rundown area, but there was nothing that he could do about it and he had no clue what her situation was.

Changbin asks tentatively, “Well, what did happened here?”

“The thing is. . .” Jihyo begins hesitantly.

_ The streets were more crowded than usual today and Jihyo had to nearly push her way around the crowd to even get out of the tavern. But, just like any other day she routinely went to take her break at her garden, though she had to confess it was not much to look at. With the fall starting to come and summer fading with the days, she had to make sure that she had enough food saved up for the upcoming winter. While she was out back where she could avoid being smothered by the crowd, she felt the rumble of the ground moving and shaking beneath her. _

_ She stood and squinted to see a plethora of horses at full speed heading in their direction, the sight of a flag waving in the front. Thinking that they were merely passing through, as did many others for a place to let their horses rest, she gathered her tools and went back to the tavern, humming a tune that the street players often played. This time, though, would be an unforgettable moment that no one who witnessed it will be able to forget. _

_ Many of the civilians thought nothing of the incoming men and offered them a place to stay for the night, vendors offering them refreshments as well. However, it was odd to her that these men looked as if they had just seen a ghost, eyes hollow and expressionless. She figured it was the result of a night l's long trek, especially since the weather was starting to change. _

_ But they paid no heed to any of the vendors nor the gleeful civilians offering them to dance, not even looking in their direction. That's the moment in which they knew that something was off about them. _

"The next thing I knew it, it was all in chaos, shambles, with people running everywhere and I ran as fast as I could, trying to grab everyone near me and put them in the room in the back to hide." Her voice became soft near the end. "When all the screaming stopped, I realized that I hadn't heard a single gunshot. They would beat you half to death if you resisted, but they wouldn't kill anyone. Those soldiers just took everyone in these big cart wagons and hauled them to who knows where." Jihyo's eyes moved to the floor as she folded her hands on her lap.

Chan reached for a cloth he had stuffed in his pocket to hand to her to wipe her tears. "What happened to everyone else who were still there?"

Giving a polite thank you, she takes the cloth and furrows her brows, thinking, then slowly replies. "Well, everyone else either fled to Gardelle, or tried to follow the soldiers trail to get their families back." She gasps, suddenly remembering something. "I hear that those in Andoth are currently in the process of crowning the new king." Jihyo gets up from her seat to put away the empty glasses.

The trio shared a look and was once again enveloped in that aura of the impending calamity that had just begun. Chan, Woojin and Changbin would have never been able to predict the disasters that awaited them in the coming winter.


	3. The Unforeseen Prince

After their conversation had ended, Jihyo led the trio up the rickety stairs and through the painting filled corridor to their respective rooms. The lighting was dim and left the impression of loneliness to Chan. Though the day had come and gone in the blink of an eye, he truly did not want to be left alone with the monstrous thoughts that crept and lurked in the shadows, waiting for the time to step into the open. If there was any indication that Chan was growing anxious, Woojin and Changbin did not speak a word. 

“Please call me if you need anything else.” Jihyo handed them spare blankets before she turned to leave, closing the door softly behind her.

Woojin takes the sheets and begins to set up the beds along with the help of Changbin. Chan stops Jihyo before she leaves. “Thank you, we truly appreciate your hospitality.” 

“Of course, but I am merely doing my job.” 

With that, the three are left alone once again and the heavy silence looms when the previous announcement sinks in. _ "I hear that those in Andoth are currently in the process of crowning the new king." _ Chan was undoubtedly worried. Not only were his parents deaths going to be forced into the void of the forgotten, but the one responsible was going to get away with it. The castaway prince needed to come up with a plan, something, anything to be able to foresee that his people, his  _ home,  _ would retain its comforting ambience once again. He needed a plan and he needed it quick. But. How?

The night continued to drag on throughout the howls of the beasts and the encompassing fall of the twilight. The pitter-patter of the runoff of the rain kept him awake through it all. In the end he had decided that he needed to get some air to calm his nerves. After that night he hadn’t gotten a true night’s rest. Though shut-eye was not an option for him at the moment, he hadn’t wanted to keep tossing and turning, even though his bruises had yet to even begin to heal themselves, as not to awake Changbin and Woojin who evidently needed the short amount of time to rest that they were allowed. 

Swiftly and quietly, he pulled his legs over the cot with as minimal squeaks as he could possibly manage. His attempts were almost foiled when Changbin nearly awoke, turning around to have his back face Chan. With a relieved expression, he slipped his shoes onto his feet and tried to avoid stepping on the cracked boards beneath him.

Chan remembered the days in which they were still young children; in cases where their only worries were whether or not to tell his father that they broke the vase that he had been planning to give to his mother -- Chan and Changbin had had their first fight at the time on who would take the blame. Changbin had argued that he was technically at fault since he was the one to suggest taking a look at it in the first place, while Chan had argued that he was the one who grabbed it first. Changbin ignored him for the next two days after Chan confessed that it was his fault to his father without telling Changbin. Thinking back on it, Chan was able to laugh at the bittersweet memory, knowing that Changbin would have easily been treated with the same kindness that his father gave anyone.

The prince sighed, glancing over his shoulder once more before slipping out into the everchanging seasons. The air was chilly, especially at this time of night and at the moment he thought about whether he should go back and get his quilt that was laying at the edge of the cot. However, he decided against it, using the growing goosebumps on his skin and faint smell of smoke from the lit lanterns to distract his wandering mind.

The wooden, paint chipped porch that Chan had propped himself on was cold against his skin, despite the cotton trousers he adorned. Though the whispers of the wind brushed against him, he couldn’t avoid the wreckage of the town that appeared before himself. Would his own kingdom look like this as well? Would people fear the place he called home? A plethora of questions swirled in his mind. As he sat there and watched the stars high above him, Chan found himself dozing in spite of the aching position he was in. Soon, though it was never soon enough, he was consumed by the sweet words of the darkness.

_ “Welcome, my dear,  _ dear, _ Prince,” His words were sharp, piercing him with every syllable. Though his smile would have been seen as charming to anyone else, the grin of his lips only left Chan trembling in fear. _

_ His footsteps as he approached Chan was light, as if there was nothing in this world to bring him down. However, nothing about the clack of his shoes calmed his own nerves. Instead, it pounded against his head with every step getting louder and louder. After a feeling of eternity, the man crouched down to his level, tilting his head with that smile now gone in an instant. _

_ “I hope your stay here will be to your liking," he whispered. His eyes tilted into crescents. _

Chan jolted awake just like the way he did the other day. His hands were shaking as he looked down at them, cruel flashes of memories flooding back to him.

“Chan, do you,” Changbin stopped midway through his sentence when his eyes gazed upon Chan, and Woojin appeared behind him in the now open doorway.

Woojin silently crouched to his knees at Chan’s side, gently holding onto his hands and telling him that he was going to be right next to him, always. On the other hand, Changbin wordlessly shut the door and placed the food that he was holding onto the crooked bedside table, taking a moment to make sure that it was stable and wouldn’t slide off. 

After a while of Woojin comforting his jittering nerves, his eyes searched around for the wreckage that he was looking at yesterday. However, he found himself in the room instead of the porch outside. The quilt he had pondered over yesterday was thrown over his body and the familiar squeak of the cot was heard once more as he moved. The last thing he remembered was dozing off at porch in front of the tavern, or as Jihyo insisted, the inn. He was sure that the other night he didn’t return to the room to sleep.

Woojin didn’t ask if he was okay because he knew that Chan was going to say he was, even when it was obvious that he wasn’t. So, he instead released his hands and embraced the other, whispering that Chan wasn’t going to get rid of him and Changbin that easily. It was not only their duty to their beloved country, but it was because he was their most cherished friend. It was a moment of comfortable silence that followed thereafter.

With Woojin’s bear-like warmth enveloping him, Chan was gladly reminded of the time that he first met Woojin when he was ten years of age. The first thing that he had noticed back then with Woojin was his tendency to be able to see through Chan. No matter how hard Chan would try to conceal his emotions or thoughts, nothing ever got past him. He always knew the right thing to say and the right thing to do no matter the situation. Though others may have said that it was normal for it was his duty, Chan had always admired him, especially his humbleness.

When the adrenaline wore off, he was prompted by his injuries that it was still recovering from its trauma. He grimaced as the pains continued to grow, frowning when Changbin reached for the bandages and ointment to place onto his bruises. Woojin had taken off his previous bandages and tossed them away, letting Changbin take over from there.

Just as they finished with Chan’s treatment, Jihyo burst through the door. “You should leave.” Her voice was soft and uneasy; her eyes moved constantly from them to the stairs. “The easiest way not to be seen is through the back door down this hallway. That way it will give you some coverage if you head through the forest.” 

“Jihyo, what is going on?” Chan shrugged his coat on, followed by Woojin and Changbin.

“They know you’re alive, Crown Prince Chan.” Woojin didn’t look surprised to hear this and nodded, getting that they had their backs against the wall. However, Chan had no idea how she knew who he was.

They headed down the hall with Changbin taking the lead and Woojin taking the rear. The same hallway that they had found shelter for the night. The one that had been a relief that they had found and the one that was surviving from the burning agony of defeating destruction. Chan could only feel guilty for bringing in more trouble for the one who helped to shelter them, knowing exactly who he was as well.

“I can only buy you a little bit of time, so hurry on out of here.”

Chan called after her fleeting figure, “Thank you. For everything.” She replied with a smile before disappearing.

With one arm around Woojin’s shoulder, the trio fled the scene on their horses they had left, and made sure to feed, outside the town gates. They were thoroughly in the woods now, the small town now invisible their eyes and clouded by the trees. It was unusually quiet for the time that they rode.

After hours of riding they stopped for a small break for their horses down by a river. The sound of the trees stirring filled their ears and the leaves crumpling under the hooves of their horses filled their ears. Chan sat on a rock near the current and let the cold water brush against his hand. He watched as Changbin rest his back against one of the trees and place his arms over his eyes. In front of him, Woojin was caressing the horses with an endearing smile gracing his lips.

All of a sudden the sound of the rustling leaves gets louder and clearer, as if someone or something were making the noise. It draws closer to their position and they instantly get on the defense, Changbin drawing his gun out again. The horses were getting restless and if they hadn’t been tied down, Chan was sure that they would have ran. If anything, they hope to find at least something to cook for the upcoming evening. However, what stumbles out of the bushes is a man, a rather charming man at that. His clothes are obviously dishivaled and his hair is a birds nest waiting to be disentangled. However, they aren’t ready to lower their guard just yet, even though the male before them seems to be disarmed of any harmful weapons. 

His eyes widened as he lifts his head to see the three of them in front of him. The raven haired male flinched at the sight of them, and if Chan hadn’t known any better then he would have assumed that he flew away from them at the distance he was able to cover with just one jump. But, Chan knew not to make amusement of the situation they were in at the moment. Yet, Changbin seemed to recognize the male and quickly lowers his gun that was aimed at his head. His second time he had done so, but Chan wasn’t one to count.

Woojin looked at Changbin in a way that Chan hadn’t known he could look, quite shocking to the both of them. The male in front of them seemed to regain his composure and stood cautiously, hands open with his palms out to show that he was of no harm to them.

“Don’t worry, he wouldn’t even hurt a blade of grass if he could.” Changbin scoffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Woojin visibly relaxes at his words.

  
The male glares at Changbin and takes two tentative steps towards them. “Excuse our rather unusual first meet.” He clears his throat hurriedly. “It seems we haven’t had the pleasure of formally greeting one another yet. Allow me to introduce myself.” He extends his hand to to Chan after an unsuccessful attempt to clean off the dirt from it. “I am Crown Prince Hwang Hyunjin of the kingdom of Gardelle .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank everyone for their words of encouragement and all of the kudos you all left. Thank you so much even though I haven't posted for a long while since the beginning.
> 
> *Gives lots of hugs to everyone* :D


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